As always, you make good points. I can concede what you say, which is one reason I don't count myself a true Star Wars fan. I like it as entertaining scifi, but i'm not a devotee, the way I am of Star Trek or Babylon 5. And it's exactly because of what you said: Lucas crafted a tale that's more on a kid's level at times than on an adult level. While the Saturday morning serial format doesn't *have* to lead to juvenile subject matter, it often does, and Lucas aims for that level. I think the *potential* of Star Wars always excites people, the rich, mature world of stories that can be spun off Lucas' core. 've read stories that were definitely mature, and of course Tartokovsky's Clone Wars was off the hook. And, I think we were all spoiled by the above average Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: A New Hope. They were so good, set the bar so high, that the other films all felt like major letdowns. But curiously, the best shows were actually written or rewritten by other people. the mov ies that Lucas had major responsibility for scripting have all been less satisfying to many of us.
But as you say, it's by design. Whenever I criticize the kiddie or unsophisticated stuff Lucas gives us, I always end with "But, it's his vision. He did what he wanted". -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Lockhart, Daryle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I am always amazed at how critics are so wrapped up in their own > critic-ness that they forget what they are watching. > > Star Wars IS a Saturday morning serial. That was the whole idea. The FANS > turned it into something serious and philosophical. It is a saturday > morning science-fiction series with nice effects. Just like at the end of > the day, Dr. Who is for 8-12 year olds...of all ages. What exactly do > people want Star Wars to BE? These critics act like someone made an > animated sequel to "Gone With The Wind". It's STAR WARS. > > I saw Clone Wars. I actually liked it a lot. I liked the original series > of animated shorts as well, but this was pretty good too. The problem I > had with it is my only problem with most Star Wars stories -- the new > character. I don't really understand why we needed a new character. The > War itself should have been enough. > > To say that this picture cut corners on animation is to basically say that > one does not understand animation. Which is fine. But that's not a flaw of > this picture. Pixar has been allowed to get away with a multitude of sins > by critics simply because they use bright colors. Clone Wars was done > remarkably well. Great design based on worlds we are all familiar with. > Nice stylized illustration of the main characters. The one thing critics > need to be honest about is that if you have no interest in Star Wars, you > will not like this picture. If you do, you'll like this > > > > > Daryle > > > > > On Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:47:50 -0400, Tracey de Morsella > wrote: > > > > > Movie Reviews: Star Wars: The Clone Wars > > > > > > http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0551746/ > > > > > > 15 August 2008 10:36 AM, PDT > > > > http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI1MDIwMTczOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTI4MD > > > > E3MQ@@._V1._SY90_.jpg > > > > With each new release of a Star > > Wars > > movie, the reviews grow harsher. The animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars > > is being shot down by critics as > > if > > it were a target in a video game -- with which it is being compared. > > Roger > > Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times > > says > > that producer George Lucas has > > reduced the franchise "to the level of Saturday-morning animation." It > > is, > > he writes, "a deadening film that cuts corners on its animation and > > slumbers > > through a plot that (a) makes us feel like we've seen it all before, and > > (b) > > makes us wish we hadn't." Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News regards > > the film as "the latest indignity" to Star Wars > > fans. Linda Barnard in the > > Toronto > > Star comments that Lucas has > > "whored > > out the much-loved Star Wars > > saga." > > And while some critics suggest that small children may enjoy the film, > > Jason > > Anderson in the Toronto Globe & Mail warns, "parents may be perturbed by > > the > > film's relentless violence." But Nathan Lee actually gives the movie a > > left-handed compliment in the New York Times, writing that it "comes as > > something of a surprise: it isn't the most painful movie of the year!" > > Likewise Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel writes that it is "actually > > better than expected." And writing in the Los Angeles Times, Michael > > Ordoña > > grants that "there's knockout animation, facsimiles of popular characters > > and plenty of action. But anyone older than 8 with the majority of brain > > functions intact will have a bad feeling about this." > > > > > > > > -- > > "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking as we used > when we created them." -- Albert Einstein > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > >
